Keyboard for guitars or similar instruments.



E. KEYBOARD FOR GUITARS 0R SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS Patented Dec. 5,1916.

APPLICATION FILED APR. [2. 1916.

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ENRICO RE, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY.

KEYBOARD FOR GUITARS OR SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed April 12, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ENRICO Rn, a subject of the King of Italy, residingat Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Keyboards for Guitars orSimilar Instruments, of which the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This lnvention relates to certaln 1mprovements in keyboards for guitarsor similar instruments and it is an object of the invention to provide anovel and improved keyboard which may be readily and convenientlyapplied to the neck or finger board of the instrument.

Furthermore it is an object of the invention to provide a novel andimproved device of this general character including a plurality ofbuttons having eoacting therewith means for normally maintaining thesame out of contact with the strings of an instrument when the board isin applied position.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in thecombination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved keyboardwhereby certain important advantages are attained and the device isrendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient andadvantageous for use, all as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will hereinafter be definitelyclaimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will nowproceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in top plan illustrating a keyboardconstructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention in appliedposition; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in top plan of myimproved keyboard as herein embodied; Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentaryview in bottom plan of my improved keyboard as herein disclosed; Fig. 4is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of my improved keyboard, theeoacting portion of the neck being shown in elevation; Fig. 5 is anenlarged transverse sectional view taken through my improved keyboardand the eoacting portion of the neck, the buttons being shown in ele-Vation.

As disclosed in the accompanying draw- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916. Serial No. 90,684.

ings, N denotes the neck of a string musical instrument provided withthe finger-board B having frets F, and 1 denotes an elongated plateadapted to overlie the fingerboard B and of substantially the sameconfiguration in plan. The opposite extremities of the plate 1 areprovided with the spring arms 2 adapted to embrace the neck N andfrictionally engage the same in order to maintain the plate 1 in appliedposition.

The under surface of the plate 1 is provided with the depending blocks 3having their under faces grooved, as at 4, so that said blocks 3 maystraddle the frets F and also serve to maintain the plate 1 inpredetermined spaced relation relative to the finger-board B so that noobstruction will be offered to the vibration of the strings S.

The plate 1 is provided with a plurality of series of longitudinallyspaced openings 5, each of said series eoacting with a single string Sand disposed between the frets F when the plate 1 is in appliedposition. Loosely directed through each of the open ings 5 is a button 6having its opposite extremities provided with the heads 7 and 7 wherebythe button 6 is held maintained against removal from the plate 1, andthe intermediate portion of the button 6 is of such a length as topermit sufficient depression of the button to properly engage a string Spositioned therebeneath.

Each of the buttons 6 as herein embodied, is normally maintained inelevated or raised position relative to its eoacting string through themedium of the springs 8 herein disclosed as coil springs having theirinner extremities extended within the recesses 9 produced atdiametrically opposed points in the intermediate portions of the button6 and with their opposite or outer extremities seated within therecesses or depressions 10 suitably produced in the walls of thedepressions or recesses 10. The button 6 is suspended by the springs 8so that the button may be readily and conveniently depresed to engage astring and the button 6 will be raised or elevated as soon as thepressure of a finger is removed therefrom. It is also to be noted thatthe outer faces of the buttons 6 are provided with the symbols 11whereby a desired pitch or tone may be obtained. As herein disclosed,the symbols 11 are of the same character as the singing notes.

From the foregoing description, it is thought to be obvious that akeyboard constructed in accordance with my invention is of an extremelysimple and comparatively inexpensive nature and is particularly welladapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which itmay be assembled and it will also be obvious that my invention issusceptible of some change and modification without material departurefrom the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wishto be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement andformation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my inventionin practice.

I claim:

1. A keyboard attachment for string instruments including an elongatedplate provided with means whereby it may be detachably applied inoperative position and having a plurality of openings, a button freelymovable within each of the openings, said button being provided withsubstantially diametrically opposed recesses, and coil springs seatedwithin said recesses and coacting with the wall of the opening fornormally maintaining the button in a raised position.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 2. A keyboard attachment forstring instruments including an elongated plate pro- 5 vided with meanswhereby it may be det-achably applied in operative position and having aplurality of openings, a button freely movable within each of theopenings, said button being provided with substantially diametricallyopposed recesses, and coil springs seated within said recesses andcoacting with the wall of the opening for normally maintaining thebutton in a raised position, the walls of the openings being providedwith recesses in which the outer extremities of the springs are seated.

3. In combination with a finger-board of a string instrument providedwith frets, a keyboard adapted to overlie the fingerboard, blocksdepending from the keyboard and having their under surfaces grooved sothat said blocks may straddle the frets, and movable buttons carried byand disposed through the keyboard.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses. ENRICO RE.

Witnesses:

J on BUMORI,

W. E. LAWSON.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

